Cessna T210 accident near Medford, Oregon, May 15, 2019
On May 15, 2019 at about 2:20 am local time, a 1976 Cessna T210, registered N732DK, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Medford, Oregon (Beagle Sky Ranch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2019 · about 2:20 am local time
- Place
- Medford, Oregon · Beagle Sky Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210 L, built 1976 · all T210s on the register
- Registration
- N732DK · registry record · serial 21061432
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he completed a cross-country flight. Shortly after departing on the return flight, the engine lost total power because he had “run out of fuel.” The pilot attempted to return to the airport to land. He switched fuel tanks but forgot to activate the fuel boost pump. Engine power was not restored, and the pilot landed in a field short of the runway, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the site reported that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the tail. One fuel tank was dry, and the other contained fuel. The fuel onboard was not quantified by the FAA inspector, but the pilot reported that the airplane contained 20 gallons. Based on the information available, it is likely that the pilot exhausted the fuel supply in one tank, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Fuel related during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 0 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors TSIO-520-SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F70 Murrieta/Temecula CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KMFR, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 15, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Summary of Findings (NTSB) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Summary of Findings (FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N732DK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.